thriving11

That's definitely true. Until there is a demand for woodwind players in DCI, there won't be any.

I was thinking about this, too. It's a musical event that doesn't represent all musical instruments. I don't know what to say to that, though. It's easy to say "it's not fair to exclude woodwinds", but it would be impractical to have a woodwind section try to compete against a DCI brass section in reaching the press boxes at the large stadiums drum corps perform in. Also, with high schools, there is an obligation to give every student a chance. That obligation doesn't really exist in independent drum corps that originated in regimental military brass bands. I do think woodwinds and string instruments should be allowed as mic-ed instruments in the front ensemble, though. I mean, people get worked up when someone mentions a mic-ed woodwind/string in DCI, but people don't get as worked up over singing or vocal performance (or, in Boston's case, whistling).

It does rain on everyone's electronics. Quite frequently. Perfect example: 2011 Allentown Regional.

This analogy is a very good one. It really nails the fact that both the large pool and the staff is necessary. Crown's brass staff would not have made a Jim Ott winning corps if they were working with Spirit's hornline, and Crown's hornline wouldn't have won Jim Ott if they were under the instruction of Spirit's brass staff. Both are necessary. So I like that football analogy, requiring superior staffs and superior player talent.

It is a crutch for them, that's true. I guess the point I was making is that many band kids began their music with piano lessons (like probably a good third of us), and a lot of the woodwind players who could learn a brass instrument don't. When piano parts (actual musically written piano parts) become available, woodwind kids with piano background who aren't driven enough to learn a new brass instrument can now audition on something. It just adds another group of potential auditioning bodies - percussion, guard, brass, woodwinds who learn brass, and now woodwinds who play piano. You know what I mean?

That's true, they are. Also, wasn't one of Phantom's DMs from this past season a rookie? I think they were. Like, an 18 year old rookie or something.

Well, I don't really know the answers because there isn't really an answer. If there was a knowable, definable answer, people would be able to fix it. Instead, there are a lot of opinions and guesses. A very important difference between drum corps and high school band is that drum corps is auditioned, meaning that if you aren't good enough, you don't make it. A corps' recent history of success has a direct correlation to how many people come out to audition for the following year, as well as the musicianship level of the people auditioning. If a corps does very well, generally a lot of people will come out to audition for the corps. I can almost guarantee (I can't fully because I don't actually know for fact) that more people audition in the winter camps for Cavaliers, BD, Cadets, and Carolina Crown than in the winter camps for Spirit, Pioneers, Blue Knights, etc. It's easier to find 150 outstanding members in a group of 450 people than to find 150 outstanding members in a group of 250. You know what I mean? Another thing - lots of people use the "lower down" (I hate using that term, but I don't know how else to say it) corps as transition seasons into a "higher up" corps, meaning the "lower down" corps are literally younger. The average age of corps like Cavaliers, BD, Cadets, and Crown is usually about 20.

I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to de-value the other corps and their pits. Definitely, Crown's pit will not be "the only good pit" or anything. I don't like it when people act like only one corps or only one brass line or only one front ensemble is good and the rest are mediocre, because that's definitely not the case. I was just saying that with so many returning members, plus Andrew Markworth writing their book, the coming season is looking especially bright for Crown. Another thing - all of these pit kids (as well as the instructors) all know each other. So, like... Crown's pit knows people from Cavaliers' pit and BD's pit and SCV's pit as close friends (and peer musicians). They all think very highly of each other. Of course, 2012 may be looking bright for Crown, but the season that follows (2013) looks especially dim because this season will have the entire marimba line as age-out, plus one of the synth players. So that's 6 (almost half) of their pit aging out in this season.

Well, in high schools, it's a matter of two things: instructors and money. With high schools where everyone can participate as long as you show up with your horn, there will always be both fantastic and not-so-fantastic musicians. Instruction is so crucial in the high school setting. When my friend was in high school, his freshman and sophomore years were fantastic. My friend's band would leave crowds speechless, and sophomore year they won a national championship as grand champions (I forget which circuit... either USSBA or BOA). Their band director was outstanding. The very next year, they got a new band director. Immediately, they were nothing in comparison. Just a simple change in directors completely altered the success of the band (3/4ths of the kids were still the same, so it wasn't the members that changed). Also, money is a big thing. Not only can a band from a rich school afford many things that others can't (like an incredible electronics sound system with microphones and synthesizers, or new instruments, or higher quality instructors), but it also tells the students something. Members of a band that have nice instruments and skilled instructors and a good practice field and a quality stadium are subconsciously told that what they do is important. Members of a band that have teenagers as instructors and crappy (or no) practice fields and old, worn down instruments and recycled guard equipment are subconsciously told that what they do isn't important. So even if there is the same amount of rehearsal time, the members of the first band will approach that practice time thinking, "What I am about to do is valuable," where the members of the second group will approach the practice time thinking the exact opposite. Does that make sense? A lot of the success of the group has to do with psychological/mental strength, not just the amount of rehearsal time.

Here he is, ladies and gentlemen. Nick Starr (the synth who was playing Rachmaninoff's concertos without being recognized by the percussion judges) has joined the thread. What he says is exactly right. Also, for all the people here who aren't parents, but rather students, think about this: There are more than just brass and percussionists in high school band programs. Woodwinds don't have a place in DCI. Now, think about how many of these woodwinds are in their school's marching bands and wish they could march DCI, but can't. NOW think about how many of them also play piano. Just another gateway in addition to Nick's that will lead trained pianists to the world of DCI.

You commented on somebody's grammar as an argument awhile back, correcting "is" to "are" when referring to drum corps. But "corps" is both singular and plural. So "Is there any drum corps" is just as correct as "Are there any drum corps." Oo. Awkward.

First, I want to comment in your support about the time. I read your "not having time" more as a "I don't have enough time before I'm 21 to become fair competition with people who have played for years", not as everyone else is reading it "I don't have enough time in my day". Second, I would also recommend Boston. They do have their winter camps in Florida, so that's a good way for you to get into auditioning with a top 12. And of course it will be very challenging, and if you make the corps it will be even more challenging than the audition camps. But being in a corps will really advance your skills. Often, if you don't make a top 12, you can find out with enough time to go to a different corps and march with them. Marching any of the corps will be a good stepping stone into your age out year.

I COMPLETELY agree with this. The Synth 1 player from Crown this year said that percussion judges never spoke about his playing in their tapes. He was a feature soloist and was playing a Rachmaninoff piano concerto, and judges didn't even mention him. His part was a crucial, essential part to the musical design of the show and the percussion book, yet was completely not recognized by the percussion judge himself.

"The organization started in January 1988 as the Charlotte Drum Corps Association." ~~ off Crown's website. Glassmen were founded in 1961. I am talking about the actual corps here. Crown is almost the same age as the kids performing in it. Crown is a new corps when you look at the corps its competing against, who were already "old corps" before Crown was even thought of.

Well in the 2010 season, Crown did have a coffee pot for those extra long, mid-afternoon blocks after lunch. =p